The Favor
by FireMaple
Summary: Willow and Spike stuff. Spike does Willow a favor which she's very grateful for.
1. The Favor

The Favor TITLE: The Favor - Parts 1 and 2   
AUTHOR: FireMaple  
RATING: PG  
CLASSIFICATION: Willow/Spike  
SPOILERS: Implied 4th season...Spoilers up to The Initiative  
DISTRIBUTION: Just ask me first. I'd love to know where it's going. Don't even ask me...just tell me..."Hey, I'm putting your story on my site."   
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Willow, Spike, or anyone else used in this story. They belong to Joss. I never owned them and I never will own them. I am simply borrowing them for a moment so I can have my fun. I'll give them back as soon as I finish and I'm not making any sort of crazy profit on this story...just for fun.   
FEEDBACK: Yes! I love feedback. Any kind at all. Gimme, gimme.   
  
  
Part 1"I'm so proud, Wills!" Buffy exclaimed to her friend once Willow had hung up the phone. "Your very own Stalker."  
  
Willow groaned. "Buffy, don't start. He's not a stalker. He's just…a little overzealous."  
  
"Stalker." Buffy confirmed with a nod of her head. "I just don't believe you made that deal with him."  
  
The witch shoved her face in her hands and fell over on the bed. "Me neither." She mumbled through her fingers.  
  
"You neither what?" Xander said, entering the dorm room and shutting the door behind him.  
  
"Don't you knock?" Buffy asked.  
  
"Don't you lock your door?" Xander retorted as he crashed onto the end of Buffy's bed. "Anyway, what are we talking about?"  
  
"Willow made a deal with her personal stalker-guy."  
  
"What?" Xander glanced at Buffy in confusion. The Slayer simply shrugged her shoulders and nodded in Willow's direction.  
  
"Now, Will. I've heard of making a deal with the devil and while living on the Hellmouth puts a whole new spin on that, I've never heard of making a deal with a stalker. And since when have you had a stalker?"  
  
Willow sighed and gave into her friend's badgering. "Todd. His name is Todd. I met him in my Contemporary America class."  
  
"He really digs our Wills." Buffy cut in, raising her eyebrows when Willow shot her an annoyed look.  
  
"Anyway." Willow continued. "We had coffee after class. Well, I had apple juice, but you know what I mean. That was four days ago. He hasn't stopped calling me. He walks me to class everyday and keeps asking me out."  
  
"So, go out with said stalk-guy." Xander replied simply.  
  
Willow crinkled her nose. "I'm not up to the date-thing just yet. Plus, he's kinda freaky. At first he was completely sweet and I was flattered, but now I'm a little scared."  
  
"You want me to tell him to back off?" Buffy asked.  
  
"No. No, it's ok. That might make things worse."  
  
"Woah. Hold up." Xander interrupted. "What's the deal you made with this guy?"  
  
"Ah ha!" Buffy sat up straight and pointed her index finger in the air. "You've just hit upon Willow's dilemma!"  
  
"So?" Xander prompted as he looked to Willow for an explanation.  
  
"You know the party we're all going to tomorrow? Well, he asked me to go with him. I told him that I already have a date. So, he said that if my date canceled that I had to go with him. He's gonna be waiting at the party. I just know it." Willow finished, dread in her voice.  
  
"So? What's the big? Just don't let your date bail on you." Xander shrugged.  
  
Willow groaned in frustration and threw a pillow at him. "I don't have a date."  
  
Buffy grinned. "You lied. Bad girl."  
  
"Well, Will. I'd go with him, but Anya would kill you…and then me. Brutally. Very brutally."  
  
"And I'd take you, but I just don't swing that way. Plus, Riley's coming with me."  
  
Willow smiled weakly. "Thanks guys."  
  
"Just find somebody to go with." Buffy waved her hand through the air, as if indicating all the single college guys crawling around the campus.  
  
Willow looked mortified and quickly shook her head. "Oh, no. I couldn't. I'm not good at asking guys out. Besides it's tomorrow. There's no way…."  
  
"I'm sure there are plenty of guys who'd love the chance to spend the evening with our amazing Wills." Buffy said, sitting down next to Willow and throwing her arm over the witch's shoulder.  
  
"Right." Willow's voice dripped with sarcasm.  
  
"Xander, think of someone of the single persuasion to go with Will to the party."  
  
Xander thought for a moment. "I don't have any male friends, remember? Just you, Will, and Anya. If you could call Anya a friend."  
  
"An orgasm friend." Buffy teased.  
  
"Hey. Shut up." Xander threw the pillow Willow had chucked his way and hit Buffy in the head with it.  
  
"Bastard." Buffy half muttered and half giggled. She dropped the pillow to the floor and lay back on the bed. "Why don't you just let me get Riley to hook you up with a frat hottie?"  
  
"No way." Willow's resolve face kicked in and Buffy sighed, giving up on that idea.  
  
"Alright. Who do you know that is single?" Buffy asked, poking Willow's arm.  
  
"Me." The witch answered with a touch of sadness and a touch of humor.  
  
"There's a new concept. Be your own date."  
  
"Shut up, Xander." Buffy retorted. "You're not helping."  
  
Willow sighed and shifted around, looking worried and embarrassed. She didn't want someone's evening to be ruined because they had to take her to a party. However, she couldn't think of any other way to get Todd to leave her alone.  
  
Buffy perked up. "Spike. What about Spike? He's single and very non-busy Friday night. He'd probably die to get out…uh, wrong choice of words. He'd probably kill to get…ok, another bad choice. He'd probably really like to get out of Giles' house."  
  
"No. No, he wouldn't want to go." Willow answered, quickly shaking her head.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Because…because he's Spike."  
  
"So?"  
  
"I couldn't ask him to go with me." Willow's face was flushed and she was trying not to stutter.  
  
"I never said anything about asking. Just tell him that if he doesn't go with you, then I'll stake him."  
  
"Buffy. No…I can't blackmail him like that. He'll think I'm mean and really pathetic for not being able to get a date."  
  
"He's a vampire. Why do you care what he thinks about you?" Xander said, getting up to answer the ringing telephone since neither girl made a move to get it.  
  
"Will, he's the only option if you won't let Riley set you up with somebody." Buffy tried to reason with her friend "So, it's either the vamp or the stalker. You pick."  
  
"Gotta go." Xander interrupted as he hung up the phone. "Anya awaits."  
  
"You're so whipped." Buffy mused, watching him leave.  
  
"Let me know about the million dollar question. Spike or stalker?"  
  
"I'll do that." Buffy nodded as he left.  
  
"So, Will? What'll it be?"  
  
"Buffy, he's not going to go with me."  
  
"Why not?" Buffy sat up. "You're the only one he ever talks to. You vamp sit him all the time and you're even nice to him when you do. He owes you and he knows it."  
  
Willow was still unsure.  
  
"Just ask him if he'll help you out. See what he says."  
  
"Ok." The witch answered in a small voice after a long pause of hesitation.  
  
  
Part 2"Red." Spike said, standing up in surprise and quickly flipping the soap opera off. "I thought you had classes until four."  
  
Willow shut the door and dropped her backpack by the coat rack. "Professor Clem wasn't there. He left a note on the door. Wait. You know my schedule?"  
  
"Well, yeah." Spike answered, looking shyly at the floor, an unusual gesture for him. "You're the one who always brings me blood." He added quickly, hoping to explain away his knowledge.  
  
"Oh." Willow nodded. "Are you hungry?" She pulled two bags of blood out of her backpack and held them up. "I come bearing blood."  
  
"Is it warm?" Spike leaped over the couch and skidded to a stop in front of the red head.  
  
Willow laughed and jerked the bags behind her back. "No way. I never said I brought them for you."  
  
"Right, pet. So, you're developing a taste for blood?"  
  
Willow scrunched her face up in disgust. "Ewww. No. And no, it's not warm. Want me to heat it up for you?"  
  
Spike nodded eagerly and followed Willow to the kitchen like a puppy waiting to be fed.  
  
"Spike, go sit down. I'll bring it to you."  
  
"Why are you waiting on me like this?" The vampire asked, raising his eyebrows in suspicion.  
  
Willow shifted around uncomfortably and poured the blood into a large mug. "Well, I sorta have a favor to ask of you. So, I'm buttering you up, hoping that you'll say yes."  
  
"Buttering me up, huh? Do I have to take off my clothes for you to do that?" Spike chuckled, tugging at his t-shirt. "Cause I don't mind."  
  
"Oh, uh…." Willow stumbled around her words and dropped her eyes to the floor. She just knew that her face was red and flushed. "Don't be silly." She finally managed to say.  
  
"You're no fun." Spike pouted.  
  
"Go sit down and I'll bring this to you when it's heated up."  
  
"And tell me what you want me to do for you?" Spike grinned.  
  
"Yes. Now go." She shooed him out of the kitchen and into the living room. "Where's Giles, anyway?" Willow called to Spike.  
  
"Out. Some job interview."  
  
"Here." Willow handed a seated Spike the mug of warm blood and sat in the chair opposite the sofa he was on. She sat quietly, wondering how she was going to ask the vampire to go with her to the party.  
  
"Go on." Spike rolled his eyes and prompted the witch when he saw her trying to formulate the question she wanted to ask.  
  
Willow took a deep breath. "Don't feel obligated or anything. I mean, I'd totally understand if you don't want to do this."  
  
Spike groaned and leaned forward. "Spit it out, Red." He growled.  
  
Clearing her throat Willow started to explain. "There is this guy named Todd. He sorta likes me, I'm not really sure why though. I mean, it's not like I'm something special…."  
  
"Red."  
  
"Right. Sorry. So, this guy likes me. That's great and everything, but he just won't leave me alone. He follows me everywhere and calls me all day long. I bet there are 10 messages on the answering machine at the dorm from him right now. I'll have to go through them all when I get back. He was sweet at first. We went out for coffee and we talked about all sorts of things."  
  
"Red. What do you want from me?" Spike said, interrupting the witch. He didn't enjoy hearing about any guy making a move on his Willow. The vampire wasn't quite sure why he had started to feel possessive of her, but he had. He suspected that his feelings, his crush on the petite red head, was because he was trapped into helping the so-called Scooby Gang out and she was the only one who was decent to him. She had so graciously given him a Christmas present and included him in the festivities, even when he protested the entire time. She was the only one who kept the blood in the refrigerator stocked, and seemed to be the only one who really cared about him in any way.  
  
"I'm getting there." Willow answered, interrupting the vampire's thoughts. "Anyway, um, this guy…Todd…he asked me to go with him to a party tomorrow night. I told him that I had a date, but I really don't. If I show up by myself, then I've got to spend the evening with him. If I don't show up at all, then he'll bug me 'til the end of time." Willow took a deep breath and asked her question quickly, cringing at the imminent rejection. "So would you go to the party with me?"  
  
Spike sat still, not moving and a bit stunned that the red head had just asked him out. Granted, she didn't have much of a choice, but out of all the guys she could have asked, she asked him.  
  
"Please." Willow said softly, her eyes firmly locked on the spot of carpet between her shoes. She was afraid to look up, just knowing that he was laughing silently at her stupidity at thinking he would actually consider attending the party with her.  
  
"Me, luv?" Spike asked, still a little shocked.  
  
Willow looked up to meet his gaze when she didn't hear any laughter in his voice. "Yes. Please, Spike. I'm scared. I feel like he's watching me all the time. I can't stand it. And I can't go to the party alone." Her eyes pleaded with the vampire.  
  
Spike felt something in his throat catch. The fear, of the guy who was pursuing her and of rejection, made him feel for the little witch. He finally tore his eyes away from hers and stood up, clearing his throat. Willow dropped her eyes to the floor taking his silence as a negative answer. "Sorry I put you on the spot like that." She mumbled. "It's ok though. I'll just tell him to leave me alone. I'm sure it'll be fine."  
  
Willow stood to leave, however by this time Spike had regained his composure after the initial shock that Willow had asked for his help, which she had never done before. "Do you even have to ask?" He said, smiling at her back.  
  
"What?" Willow asked, turning away from the door and back to the vampire.  
  
"You think I was going to turn you down, Red?"  
  
"Well, I mean…" Willow stuttered, unsure of how to respond.  
  
"So, when is this party?"  
  
"To…tomorrow. The gang is going at 8:30."  
  
Spike grinned. "See you then, Red."  
  
"Ok." Willow answered, still confused and a little shocked that the gorgeous blond vampire had agreed to spend the evening with her, outside of Giles' house, posing as her date.  
  
"Where are you going?" Spike asked, watching as Willow opened the door, leaving her backpack in the floor.  
  
"Oh, I, uh…" Willow cocked her head to the side. "I don't know."  
  
Spike chuckled at her confusion. "Stay here and amuse me. I'm bored and I can't go out. Bloody sun gets in my way."  
  
Willow lightened up and composed herself, even laughing at Spike's comment. "Alright. I'll stay with you, but we're not watching soap operas." She trudged over to the sofa and plopped down next to the seated vampire.  
  
"What do you want to do?" He asked, nudging her with his arm.  
  
"What do you want to do?" She repeated his question back to him.  
  
"Dammit woman, I asked first." Spike slid his hand down to Willow's knee and squeezed it lightly, but firmly.  
  
The red head squeaked and wiggled around, trying to remove his hand. "Spike that tickles. Stop."  
  
"Say please."  
  
"No."  
  
"Say please." He repeated, placing more pressure in his grip.  
  
Willow giggled and relented. "Please."  
  
He lifted his hand away and asked what she wanted to do again.  
  
"Can you teach me how to cook?"  
  
"What makes you think I can cook?" He asked, amused.  
  
"I don't know. Just a feeling. Can you?"  
  
"I'm not that bad. Been a while since I've fixed anything though."  
  
"Well, let's go see how rusty you are." Willow pushed herself out of the sofa and pulled Spike up with her.  
  
"I'm gonna drug your food with blood." Spike laughed, teasing the witch.  
  
"You do and I'll be forced to stake you."  
  
"Now, now. You wouldn't do that to me would you?"  
  
Willow glanced over to the vampire. "I guess not." She answered, smiling.  
  
Part 3"Why are you so worried about how you look? You'd think that you're actually going out with somebody, not just Spike."  
  
"Spike is somebody, Buffy." Willow said as she slid the hair clasp into her red tresses.  
  
"He's a vampire somebody. Those somebodys don't count."  
  
"So, you think this is ok?" Willow changed the subject, standing up and holding her arms out to the sides.  
  
Buffy looked at her friend and smiled. "You look amazing. Too bad you're wasting it on Spike, though." Buffy smiled inwardly. She knew Willow had a crush on the blond vampire. That much was obvious. Buffy even saw Spike return the witch's affections with joking innuendos that made the red head blush. The Slayer thought that maybe, just maybe, he was feeling for Willow, a fraction of what Willow was feeling for him. He did hide it will when others were around, Buffy had to admit.  
  
"Are you sure this isn't too short?" Willow tugged at the hem of the dress. It was one of Buffy's; a dark green, silk dress that came to the middle of Willow's thigh. The dress was sleeveless, with two spaghetti straps holding it up. The ensemble was airy, yet it fitted Willow perfectly.  
  
"Of course it's not too short." Buffy reassured her friend. "Where's Spike supposed to meet us?"  
  
"He said that he'd be here at 8:30." Willow glanced to the clock. "Five minutes."  
  
"Why are you so nervous, Will?" Buffy asked, knowing the answer, but asking to see what kind of reaction she'd get.  
  
"I'm not nervous."  
  
"You are so. You're counting down the minutes until he gets here."  
  
"I am not…." Willow stopped when she heard a light knock on the door. Suddenly she panicked. She just knew that she couldn't go through with it. She knew that if she spent the evening with Spike under the guise of a date, then she'd say or do something to make her crush known, thus ruining the twisted friendship she had developed with the vampire.  
  
However, it was too late. Buffy was already opening the door. What Willow saw on the other side almost buckled her legs and made her start panting like a winded puppy.  
  
Spike. His blond hair neatly combed back and a cocky smirk on his face. He was wearing tight, black leather pants with a white, button-up dress shirt. The bottom two buttons were unhooked, as were the top two buttons, giving Willow a peek of his chest and a bit of his stomach. Willow unconsciously licked her lips and blatantly stared. Buffy invited him in, raising her eyebrows at his sudden change in wardrobe.  
  
Spike noticed Willow's fixed stare on him and sauntered up to her. "Like what you see, pet?" The vampire whispered in her ear. He slowly walked around her, giving the witch the once over with his eyes. She felt as if her skin would catch on fire everywhere his eyes trailed. No one had ever looked at her like that before and she almost crumpled under his gaze.  
  
"I certainly like what I see." He said into her other ear after he had finished his circle around her.  
  
Willow let out a brief, involuntary squeak, soft enough for only Spike to hear.  
  
"Can we go?" Buffy asked, breaking the hypnotic spell.  
  
Spike nodded and took Willow's hand in his to lead her out.  
  
"What's that?" Buffy gestured to Willow and Spike's joined hands.  
  
"I'm her date. I've got to play the part, don't I?" The vampire answered.  
  
"Whatever." Buffy shrugged, turning her back on the unlikely couple and smiling.  
  
  
Part 4"Red? You ok?" Spike asked when he saw the far away look in Willow's eyes.  
  
"Oh! I'm, uh…I'm fine." Willow said, startled out of her reverie.  
  
The witch and vampire were seated on a sofa, side by side. The party bustled around them and the music blasted from the stereo in the next room. The evening had been uneventful so far, and Willow hadn't seen the elusive Todd.  
  
Surprisingly, Spike had been supportive the entire night. There had been no teasing and laughing at her insecurities, just support. She was on edge all evening, looking for Todd, afraid that he'd see the so-called date for what it really was, a joke.  
  
Spike watched the red head gaze off into space and fall back into deep thoughts. He smiled and sat back into the sofa, flashing an annoyed expression at the couple making out next to him. He felt Willow tense up and followed her gaze across the room to an approaching figure. "Todd?" He asked the witch.  
  
She simply nodded her head, a worried expression on her face.  
  
"Hey Willow. Where's your date? Looks like you get to spend the evening with me after all." Todd said. He reached out and tried to grasp her upper arm with his hand.  
  
Spike's hand shot out and knocked the younger man's hand away from Willow. "_*I'm*_ her date, mate. In fact, I'm her boyfriend. If you ever try to touch her again, you'll be sorry." Spike held back his more venomous threats, knowing that he would reveal too much of his vampire side.  
  
Willow sat in shocked silence, watching Spike's lips. She heard the words, but couldn't believe them. He was actually protecting her, something she didn't expect. She thought he would show up with her, complain until time to leave, and laugh at her paranoia. He proved Willow wrong.  
  
"You don't act like her boyfriend, or even her date for that matter. What'd she hire you or something?" Todd sneered. "You haven't touched her all night."  
  
"You were watching me?" Willow said weakly.  
  
"Yeah. I figured you were lying about having a date. Apparently I was right. Where'd you get him at? Bodyguards R Us? You think you're the first girl who's tried to get rid of me? I'm not letting you go. You belong to me. We're going out."  
  
Spike felt his temper flair and knew that he would attempt to attack the boy if he didn't get away. He also knew that he'd leave the party with a massive headache if he did any sort of attacking.  
  
Taking Willow's hand, he pulled her off the sofa and away from Todd. "Let's dance." He offered and commanded at the same time.  
  
Willow had no choice but to follow Spike into the next room and onto the makeshift dance floor.  
  
The vampire glanced over to see Todd standing on the edge of the dance floor with his arms crossed. He watched the couple intently, a cruel mocking in his eyes. He just knew that Willow would never date that lug.  
  
A slow song was playing in the background and Spike wrapped his arms around Willow's waist, pulling her close. "He's watching us." He whispered into her ear.  
  
Willow nodded. She had saw Todd as well. The witch ran her hands over Spike's shoulders and clasped them behind his neck, nuzzling her face into his chest.  
  
Willow saw Todd start to approach, slowly weaving his way through the other dancing couples. She panicked, afraid that he would pull her away from Spike and the vampire would be unable to help her, considering that he couldn't attack humans. She lifted her head to look at Spike, silently pleading with him to do something.  
  
Spike saw the boy approaching and knew that something had to be done. Willow's frightened and uncertain eyes locked on his, begging for help.  
  
"Do you trust me?" He murmured quietly.  
  
Willow looked confused, and anxious at the now quickly approaching Todd.  
  
"Do you trust me?" Spike repeated his question softer and more slowly.  
  
"Yes." Willow's answer was barely a whisper, but Spike's sensitive ears caught the statement, giving him a surge of pride, knowing that she trusted him.  
  
"I'm going to kiss you."  
  
Willow nodded, her eyes wide, curious and frightened. She never looked away from her vampire companion.  
  
Spike leaned in slowly, firmly pressing his lips to hers. The kiss was gentle and the vampire didn't open his mouth to force Willow any further. However, the witch found herself wanting more from the tender kiss and summoned the audacity to advance it.  
  
Willow slid her hand from Spike's neck to the back of his head and pulled him in tighter, opening her mouth against his. His eyes flew open in surprise. After the initial shock, he leaned into the kiss and jerked her body toward his.  
  
Todd stopped in mid-step when he saw the couple locked into the undeniably passionate kiss. He gritted his teeth and groaned in frustration. "Dammit!" Abruptly whirling around, he stomped off.  
  
Willow and Spike pulled apart hesitantly. "I think he's gone." Willow whispered when she had caught her breath.  
  
"Hmm?" Spike asked, still enraptured by the red head's passion.  
  
"Gone. I think he'd gone."  
  
"Right. Yes. Gone. Good. I suppose our work here is done?"  
  
Willow nodded, then added after a few seconds of awkward silence, "But I'd kinda like to stay."  
  
"Me too." Spike smiled.  
  
Buffy hid behind a large football player, as she watched her friend and the vampire. A grin spread across her face when she saw Willow laugh at one of his comments. _*About time.*_ The Slayer thought.  



	2. No Act

No Act TITLE: No Act (Sequel to The Favor)  
AUTHOR: FireMaple  
RATING: PG  
CLASSIFICATION: Willow/Spike  
SPOILERS: Implied 4th season...Spoilers up to The Initiative  
DISTRIBUTION: Just ask me first. I'd love to know where it's going. Don't even ask me...just tell me..."Hey, I'm putting your story on my site."   
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Willow, Spike, or anyone else used in this story. They belong to Joss. I never owned them and I never will own them. I am simply borrowing them for a moment so I can have my fun. I'll give them back as soon as I finish and I'm not making any sort of crazy profit on this story...just for fun. Oh, Todd is my creation...he's just some poor sap that I made up for the devious purposes.   
FEEDBACK: Yes! I love feedback. Any kind at all. Gimme, gimme.   
  
  
Buffy turned her eyes momentarily away from the dancing couple of Willow and Spike to see a young man shove his way out of the party and through the front door. She guessed from the scene just moments before, that the furious guy in question was Todd, the Willow-obsessed co-ed. _*Well, at least Spike got him to back off.*_ The Slayer mused as she turned her attentions back to her friend and the vampire escort.  
  
"Hey." Buffy nearly jumped out of her shoes at the voice beside her. Riley had appeared bearing two glasses filled with punch. "I think it's spiked, so I wouldn't drink too much." He said, handing Buffy a cup.  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"So, who were you so intently watching? Am I being replaced already?" Riley kidded, looking at the couples on the dance floor.  
  
Buffy smiled. "I just got you. I don't think I wanna replace you just yet." Nodding in Willow and Spike's direction, she continued, "I'm watching Will and her…uh, date."  
  
Riley followed her gaze, spotting the red head and blond. "Boyfriend?"  
  
Buffy nearly chocked on her punch. "No. Well, I mean, um…I'm not exactly clear on the relationship thing they have. I think they like each other."  
  
"Are you playing matchmaker?" Riley laughed.  
  
"Of course not. Why would I…? Ok, so maybe just a little. I'm sick and tired of watching those two make moo-moo eyes behind each other's backs."  
  


-------------------------

  
Todd was furious as he pushed his way out the door. "That little bitch." He mumbled under his breath. "She belonged to me. We were going out. So, we never officially said it, but we were. Now she's rubbing all over that thug. No little girl is going to treat me like that. I saw her first. She's mine."  
  
He was seething and several yards away from the house the party was being held in. Todd turned around to storm back in and claim what was his when he walked into someone.  
  
"Get the hell out of my way." Todd said, shoving the other man to the side. The figure didn't budge no matter how hard he pushed. "What the…?" Todd muttered just before the fangs descended on his neck.  
  


-------------------------

  
"Where's Buffy?" Willow asked when she noticed that she was standing in front of her dorm room, alone with Spike. The four of them had just returned from the party that evening.  
  
He gestured down the hall to a small lounge area. Seated on the couch were Buffy and Riley, wrapped in each other's arms, kissing.  
  
"Ah." Willow nodded. "Rampant hormones."  
  
"Apparently so." Spike mused, shifting his eyes back to the red head. "I've got an excuse. No hormones here. But where exactly are your rampant hormones? Still on summer vacation?"  
  
Willow smiled, but she was uneasy with discussing her urges with Spike. "I've got rampant hormones. I just hide them well." She replied in a kidding manner.  
  
"Hide them?"  
  
"Yeah." Willow hesitated and then started to reluctantly explain. "When you look like that," She gestured to Buffy, "then it's ok to look and act…sexy." Willow whispered the last word.  
  
The vampire raised his eyebrows as if prompting for a further explanation.  
  
"It's ok because, well, because every guy wants her anyway. Me? I'm just plain Jane. Boring. Percy even called me nerdy. And, you know, I think I am. Nerdy, that is. Everybody would just make fun of me if I tried to go around looking and acting like Buffy."  
  
Willow kept her eyes glued to the floor. She couldn't believe she was telling Spike this.  
  
"You didn't seem to be having such a difficult time acting like that earlier tonight." Spike said, referring to their passionate kiss on the dance floor.  
  
Willow shifted nervously. "That…that was just an act. We were trying to get ride of Todd. It wasn't me."  
  
"Oh, I think it was you." Spike grinned.  
  
Willow scoffed. "It was not."  
  
Spike took a step closer to Willow. His body was nearly touching hers. It surprised him that the petite red head hadn't taken a step back. He was so close he could smell her strawberry lip gloss. "I think was you, more than you'd like to admit. Right here. Right now. No one's watching. I bet you can kiss me the same way you kissed me at the party with your stalker watching. No act, just you.  
  
Willow laughed nervously. "Ha. Ha. Funny."  
  
"Not funny. Serious. If you can kiss me and make it passionless and dull, then you're right, it was an act. But if…" Spike trailed off and smiled. "Then I'm right."  
  
"This is just silly. I'm not doing this. I mean…" Willow stopped when she felt Spike's cold hands cup her face.  
  
"Do it." He commanded gently.  
  
As if in a trance, Willow leaned forward and pressed her tightly closed lips to Spike's. She gritted her teeth behind her lips to prevent herself from giving into temptation.  
  
Spike felt Willow's rigid muscles and sensed that the timid, forced kiss was an act. With a sudden jerk, Spike placed his hands on Willow's waist and pulled her body flush with his, never letting their lips drift apart. The witch gasped at the movement, allowing Spike to slide his tongue into her mouth. There was a moment when she considered pushing the vampire away, but she decided on the more pleasurable route.  
  
She took the offensive and pushed Spike back against the door to her dorm room, shoving her tongue into his mouth. When she finally pulled back to catch her breath, she saw Spike leaning casually against the door with a smirk on his face and his hair mussed up, due to her roaming fingers.  
  
"My, my, Red." He mused. "I think I rather enjoyed that. Can we do it again?"  
  
Willow didn't know what to say for a moment. Her actions had taken her by surprise and now she was a bit embarrassed by what she had done. "Shut up, Spike." The red head mumbled. "I didn't mean to do that."  
  
"Say what you want, Red. But we both know the truth." Spike smiled.  
  
Buffy and Riley had decided to join Willow and Spike, and had incidentally seen the heavy kiss the witch and vampire exchanged. They were standing several feet down the hallway. Buffy's mouth was hanging open in shock and Riley's eyebrows were raised.  
  
"Oh!" Willow said, startled at Buffy's eyes on them. She started to explain, but decided it would only make matters worse.  
  
Buffy turned to Riley and gave him a peck on the lips. "I'll see you tomorrow."  
  
Riley smiled at the Slayer and left, leaving her alone with Willow and Spike. Buffy suppressed a giggle at Willow's bewildered look.  
  
"Well, I'm off." Spike said cheerily, slinking off down the hall. As he passed Willow, he gave her an amused, I-told-you-so look.  
  
Willow opened her mouth to tell Buffy the kiss was an accident, but the Slayer firmly shook her head. "Nope. Don't want to know. You're a big girl, Will. You handle Spike. I don't need to play chaperone." She flipped out her keys and unlocked the door, letting herself and Willow in.  
  
The red head followed her in and spoke up. "But, it wasn't a real kiss. I don't even…"  
  
"Will." Buffy cut Willow off. "Don't want to know. You don't have to explain."  
  
Willow nodded and sat down on her bed, reaching to remove her sandals.  
  
"And it _*was*_ a real kiss." Buffy added.  
  


-------------------------

  
Willow glanced to the door when she heard the insistent rapping. She had been lying on her bed studying, but shut the notebook and slid off her bed to answer the door.  
  
"Todd." She said, a bit shocked that he was standing before her. It had been three days since her appearance at the party with Spike and she hadn't spoken to Todd since then. The witch suspected that he was finally going to leave her alone, until now.  
  
"Can I come in?" He asked in a quiet and controlled voice.  
  
Willow didn't really want to let him in or talk to him for that matter, but she was just too nice a person to turn him down and leave him standing in the hall. "Sure." She answered, stepping back so Todd could enter.  
  
He stepped inside and walked over to the window, turning his back to Willow while she shut the door. She turned around and spoke. "So…Todd. Hi."  
  
"Bitch." He muttered , his back still turned to her.  
  
"What?" Willow thought she had heard correctly, but couldn't believe he had said that.  
  
"You heard me." He said, his voice turning to a more abrasive and harsh tone. "You cheated on me."  
  
"Che…cheated on you?" Willow managed to squeak out, getting nervous. She couldn't see his face, but by his voice, she knew he was angry. When she didn't get an answer, Willow continued. "We weren't dating."  
  
"What'd you think I was doing? Wasting my time to get to know you as a friend?" She heard the obvious sneer in his voice.  
  
"Well, I, I…" Willow wasn't quite sure what to say.  
  
"Not good enough." Todd said, turning to face the red head. She involuntarily took a step back when she saw his face. The bumps and ridges were undeniably that of a vampire. She could only guess that he had been turned in the last few days.  
  
As he stalked toward her, Willow backed up, step by step. When she finally hit the wall, the witch found herself wishing that Buffy hadn't gone on patrol. All of the stakes, crosses, and holy water were tucked away in Buffy's closet, across the room.  
  
Todd was only inches away now. His lips were curled back in a snarl, revealing sharp fangs. She could only focus on those fangs as he grabbed her hair and jerked her head back. She saw him lean into her exposed neck and tried in vain to push him away. It was like moving a boulder and she wasn't strong enough. Willow closed her eyes, bracing herself.  
  
Suddenly, no one was there. She was standing against the wall with no vampire preparing to suck her dry. The witch opened her eyes when she heard a grunt off to her left. Todd was sprawled across the floor one moment and the next he was dust, a figure kneeling over where he once was.  
  
_*Spike.*_ She thought to herself. Her guess was confirmed when he stood up and faced her. "Thanks." Willow whispered, trying to regain her voice and composure.  
  
"Anytime, Red." Spike approached Willow and opened his arms to the shaking witch. She took two steps forward and he enfolded her in his arms and black leather duster. The two remained locked in the position, neither wanting to break it off when Buffy entered. The Slayer took a step into the room and saw her best friend in the arms of Spike. Neither the witch nor the vampire noticed her.  
  
Buffy's initial impulse was to pull them apart, but it soon passed, replaced by an amused smile. _*They look kinda sweet together.*_ She thought, tilting her head to the side and watched Willow nuzzle her face into Spike's chest.  
  
Spike was the first to notice Buffy standing in the open doorway. He shook Willow lightly and nodded toward the Slayer.  
  
Willow caught sight of her friend and stiffened up, feeling like she had been caught in the act. "Buffy." Willow took a step back from Spike's arms and bit her lower lip in embarrassment.  
  
"I get the feeling that I'm interrupting. So, I'll just scoot on out of here and leave you two alone. My only request is that there be no hanky panky on my bed." Buffy said, looking stern. "That's what's yours is for." She added, slipping out the door and shutting it behind her.  
  
Willow turned a shade of red and busied herself twisting her shirt. Her mood was lightened when she turned around to find Spike lounging sideways on her bed, his head resting on his hand and a goofy smile on his face. Willow stifled the laughter and smacked his leg lightly. "Don't be silly, you vampire, you."  
  
Spike deftly grabbed Willow by the waist and pulled her onto the bed beside him. The red head squealed when she hit the mattress and started to giggle. "Did you really take me to that party because you wanted to repay me for helping you out when you first went un-bitey?"  
  
Spike raised his eyebrows. "Wouldn't you like to know…"  
  
"Spike!" Willow demanded, light punching his chest with a loose fist.  
  
"No. I went with you because I wanted to. How else was I going to get a date with my favorite witch?"  
  
"I'm your favorite witch?"  
  
"By far, luv."  
  
Willow smiled in satisfaction at Spike's words. Leaning her forehead against his, she said, "If you wanted a date, all you had to do was ask."  
  
"Good to know." Spike mumbled, brushing his lips against Willow's. "And Red," He added, pulling back so he could see her face. "You should defiantly work on getting more stalkers, so I can save you. It makes me feel all manly and heroic."  



End file.
